Tyler Skaggs impressed the Angels’ organization with his 14-strikeout, no-walk performance Thursday with triple-A Salt Lake, convincing the team his return from August 2014 elbow surgery is, at last, imminent.
And, according to Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, Skaggs’ catcher, Carlos Perez, did the same in his first minor league game in 14 months.
“He really caught a good game,” Scioscia said. “We wouldn’t expect anything different from him.”
Scioscia said the “major impetus” for Perez’s demotion last week was his offense. He opened 2016 as the team’s starter. He does not have a track record of above-average production, but the major league staff thinks he can be better than the .